The Paris 2024 Olympic Games were a platform for French companies to showcase their brands in front of the entire world. While leading sponsors included global giants like Coca-Cola, Visa, Toyota, and Airbnb, several iconic French brands, including LVMH, Air France, and Orange, were prominent sponsors.

At its core, the purpose of sponsorship is to influence stakeholders – consumers, business partners, employees – more effectively than traditional marketing methods. Brands aim to align with rights-holder attributes, like the Olympic Games' reputation for prestige, excellence, and achievement. The goal is to deliver a return on investment (ROI), typically measured by both short-term sales increases and long-term brand-building, ultimately strengthening the brand's reputation and its connection with audiences.

Brand Finance's 2024 Global Brand Equity Monitor (GBEM) study highlights the positive impact of Olympic sponsorship on brand familiarity, engagement, and associations. According to the research, these improvements in brand perception are notably stronger among Olympic fans than non-followers. This suggests that audiences who are engaged with the Olympics are positively influenced by the sponsorship activations to which they are exposed.

Several LVMH brands featured their designs as part of their sponsorships of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Louis Vuitton created bespoke medal trunks and torches, while the brand’s Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams carried the Olympic torch at the Opening Ceremony. This high-profile activation epitomized dedication, authenticity, and unity—values associated with both the torch and Louis Vuitton’s brand ethos and heritage.

Brand Finance data reveals that Louis Vuitton's partnership with the Olympic Games significantly enhanced its global prestige and reputation among international audiences, with stronger performance among Olympic fans versus non-fans. According to Brand Finance data, luxury apparel buyers who follow the Olympics rate Louis Vuitton more highly across key metrics such as ‘reputation,’ ‘social commitment,’ ‘brand I love,’ ‘trust,’ and ‘recommendation.’ Olympic fans rated the brand's reputation at 8/10, underscoring the effectiveness of this collaboration in solidifying Louis Vuitton's position as a leading luxury brand among international audiences.

Air France, the flagship carrier of France, transported thousands of athletes during the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games. Through its ‘Bringing the World to Paris’ campaign, the airline showcased its extensive international presence, literally connecting nations for the Games.

Brand Finance research finds that international Olympic fans who are planning to take a flight within the next 12 months report a stronger connection with Air France at every stage of the brand funnel, compared to those who are not Olympic fans. The most significant gap is seen at the ‘consideration’ stage, with an 11% difference between fans and non-fans, followed by ‘awareness’ and ‘familiarity.’ This is strong evidence that Air France's Olympic partnership is significantly correlated with the brand’s recognition and appeal in international markets.

The research also reveals that Olympic fans who are airline users view Air France more favourably than non-fans. Among fans, the airline excels in key areas, with 42% perceiving it as ‘trustworthy,’ 34% acknowledging its ‘great customer service,’ and 29% recognising it as a ‘symbol of success.’ These enhanced perceptions could potentially translate into greater consideration, and subsequently usage, of the brand in the future, as fans may be more likely to choose Air France based on their strengthened trust and admiration for the brand.

Orange, the official Telecommunications Service Provider for the Paris 2024 Games, supported 20,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and millions of spectators by providing connectivity for 878 sporting events across 120 venues. Brand Finance research shows that sponsoring the Paris 2024 Olympics considerably boosted awareness (+5%), familiarity (+9%), and consideration of Orange (+15%), in France, with similar uplifts experienced in international markets. Olympics fans also perceive Orange to have a stronger reputation, improved ESG credentials, and are likely to recommend the brand more. Although Brand Finance research was conducted shortly after the Games, we can already infer an uptick in usage amongst Olympics Fans, suggestive of the sponsorship having an immediate improvement on short term sales. The onus is now on Orange to remain true to its commitment and further develop its long-term brand building metrics in order to capitalise on what has appeared to be a successful association and sponsorship of the Olympics.

It’s clear that by sponsoring the Paris Olympic Games, French brands boosted their familiarity and appeal, particularly among Olympic followers. By employing sponsorship impact modelling and analysing changes in business performance, brands can better understand the return on investment and the value created in terms of both short-term sales activation and long-term brand building. For brands that want to align with the Olympics’ rights-holder attributes, this financial quantification enables them to effectively manage their long-term growth strategies and continue to capitalise on their association with one of the world's most prestigious sporting events.

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Sports sponsorship has long been a cornerstone of marketing strategies for banking brands, but recent trends indicate that a deeper, more integrated approach is now emerging.

According to Brand Finance's 2025 Banking 500 Study, 91 of the 100 most valuable banking brands leverage sports sponsorships to enhance brand equity, reach new audiences, and strengthen community ties.

Weaving brands into the community fabric

North American banks increasingly view sponsorships not merely as tactical manoeuvres for short-term gains but as strategic, long-term investments that weave their brands into communities' cultural and social tapestries.

Securing naming rights to sports stadiums and arenas exemplifies this commitment while offering banks continuous and prominent exposure, as every event, broadcast, and mention of the venue inherently promotes the bank.

By reinforcing brand recognition over extended periods, venue naming rights deals often surpass the impact of intermittent, smaller event-based sponsorships that have traditionally been the predominant trend.

One long adopter of this strategy is TD Bank, which announced a 20-year extension to its naming partnership of the TD Garden in 2023, deepening their commitment to Boston and greater New England communities.

BNP Paribas also exemplify long-term sponsorship commitments. BNP Paribas, Europe's 4th most valuable banking brand has proudly celebrated sponsoring tennis worldwide for over 50 years, including record partnerships at Roland Garros and BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Consistent and authentic brand-building activities through sponsorship have contributed to stronger brand value performance among these top banking brands.

25 of the 152 stadiums and arenas across the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS - the leading sports leagues across the US - have long-term naming deals with North American banks, representing 16% of the stadiums.

Banking brands account for nearly a quarter - 23% - of all stadium naming rights deals in American Football, which Brand Finance data indicates is followed by 41% of Americans, making it the most followed sport in the US (Figure 1).

Targeting affluent audiences through strategic sponsorships

Banks are also aligning their brands with sports that attract affluent demographics. Golf, for example, predominantly appeals to business professionals, investors, and high-income groups—key targets for premium banking services. Brand Finance's Global Brand Equity Monitor research indicates that high-net-worth individuals who follow golf and tennis over-index by 66% and 81%, respectively, compared to the general population.

Recognising this, several American banks have invested in major golfing events. Citi sponsors the Ryder Cup, RBC backs the RBC Heritage PGA Tour event, and Morgan Stanley supports The Players Championship. These sponsorships have led to notable improvements in brand consideration and reputation among affluent audiences, positioning these banks as premium financial service providers (Figure 2).

Embracing women's sports and mega-events

Another significant shift in sports sponsorship is increased investment in women's sports. Banks recognise the commercial potential and cultural impact of supporting women's leagues.

Most notably, Bank of America expanded its commitment by becoming an official partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation, backing both men's and women's national teams. Ally Financial, the official banking partner of the NWSL, has also increased its investment in women's sports media by 300% in 2022 and is on track to achieve equal spending across men's and women's sports by 2027. This action is synchronised with Ally’s mission to make women’s sports unmissable in the US.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Barclays recently doubled its investment in the world’s fastest-growing sport, women’s football (soccer), through its continued title sponsorship of the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship in the United Kingdom.

Bank of America is also capitalising on major international sporting events held domestically. Through its sponsorship of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the bank has an opportunity to engage a diverse global audience and reinforce its reputation as a leading financial institution in North America.

According to research by Brand Finance, this sponsorship is already beginning to have a positive impact.

US football (soccer) fans are 19% more likely to consider Bank of America as their banking brand (Figure 3), whilst the increase is higher among women football (soccer) fans at 20%.

Measuring the impact of long-term sponsorships

Measuring the impact of long-term sponsorships is essential for banks, as accurate measurement ensures strategic alignment, optimises marketing spend and maximises return on investment. Brand Finance researches banks to measure how effectively sponsorships enhance brand perception, customer loyalty, and market positioning over time, providing clarity on whether sponsorship objectives, such as community engagement, ESG targets, or brand differentiation, are being met.

Moreover, by quantifying sponsorship outcomes, banks can refine future initiatives, improve stakeholder communication, and demonstrate accountability to shareholders and regulators, thereby safeguarding reputation and justifying continued investment in strategic partnerships.

Good brand measurement is essential to good brand management.

1. https://www.tdgarden.com/news/detail/td-bank-delaware-north-extend-td-garden-naming-rights-through-2045#:~:text=Boston%2C%20MA%2C%20(January%2012,keeps%20the%20beloved%20landmark%20and
2. https://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/content/newsroom/press-releases/2024/12/bofa-builds-on-partnership-with-fifa-to-become-official-partner-.html#:~:text=In%20August%202024%2C%20Bank%20of,all%20ages%2C%20abilities%20and%20backgrounds
3. https://www.sportico.com/business/sponsorship/2024/ally-financial-usga-partnership-womens-sports-investment-1234765004/
4. https://www.pgamediacenter.com/press-releases/2023-08-08-citi-becomes-a-worldwide-partner-of-the-ryder-cup-through-2025
5. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/08/14/pga-tour-2025-schedule-rbc-sponsorship/#:~:text=The%20PGA%20Tour%20this%20morning,2025%2C%20similar%20to%20last%20year
6. https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2025/03/12/morgan-stanley-eagles-for-impact-2025-the-players-championship-tpc-sawgrass#:~:text=Morgan%20Stanley's%20ongoing%20partnership%20with,%2C%20teamwork%2C%20and%20giving%20back
7. https://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/content/newsroom/press-releases/2025/01/u-s--soccer-federation-and-bank-of-america-announce-new-long-ter.html

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As short form video and the emergence of streaming services intensifies the competition for viewers’ precious time, the Olympics still captures public attention. Brand Finance research reveals that the Olympic games is the third most popular sporting competition in the world, trailing only football and basketball, with basketball propped up by hefty interest from populous US and China (Figure 1).

Around a quarter of the world’s adults were expected to tune into Paris 2024, either live or on-demand, making it a highly attractive sponsorable property for brands seeking global, mass brand exposure and awareness.

According to Brand Finance data, 20% of adults in the UK say they follow the Olympics, and this group generally skews older and more affluent (Figures 2.1, 2.2, 2.3).

The largest relative following comes from 65 – 75-year-old age group, where 26% claim to have an interest in the Olympics, as compared to only 11% of adults aged 18 - 24 who reported following the Games.

Globally, the Olympics are known for possessing strong reputational qualities (46%) and heritage attributes (44%). However, Brand Finance research shows that only 26% of respondents find that the Games are innovative, with even fewer (18%) finding them to be environmentally sustainable (Figure 3).

One reason fewer young adults follow the Olympics could be the event’s perceived harm to the environment. Although Paris 2024 aims to offset 100% of the emissions produced in the infrastructure development of the Games since 2021, it is still expected that 1.75 million tonnes of CO2 will be produced, according to the World Economic Forum.

As younger generations become increasingly environmentally conscious, major sporting rightsholders must factor in the importance of ESG credentials in the development and hosting of sporting mega-events, or risk alienating certain fan groups.

• It is a big talking point with friends, family and online
• It has a global following
• Has a positive impact on the community

As one of the most popular sporting events globally, Olympic fans possess similar engagement behaviours to other mega-sporting events, such as the most viewed sporting competition globally, the FIFA Men’s World Cup (FMWC). Whilst live attendance at Olympic events is unsurprisingly very low (11%) due to significant global demand and limited capacity, more than 55% of Olympic fans around the world claim to watch live or recorded events, reflecting the need for extensive broadcasting services (Figure 4).

The biggest discrepancy in attributes between the Olympics and the FMWC is the athletes’ and teams’ ability to attract a steady social media following. Football players and clubs appear year-round both on and off the pitch, the 4-year cycle of the Olympics results in much less visibility for the competing athletes during non-Games years. Notable stars such as UK diver Tom Daley have become household names, but most of these athletes are unknown to Olympics fans until they make their event appearances or receive media coverage in the lead up to or during the games. The Olympics are far more popular to watch than to wager. Brand Finance Data reveals fans are least likely to bet on Olympic events than any other sporting events or league included in the research (Figure 5), with only 9% of respondents saying they’ve placed a bet in who gets the gold.

There are several reasons why the Olympics are unpopular for gambling, for instance, none of the IOC’s TOP Sponsors are betting companies. This is aligned with the previous point that the Olympics’ reputation for wholesomeness is a draw, and distance from gambling may very well be a conscious decision by event organisers to preserve the perception of purity and integrity. Although most betting operators do offer Olympic betting markets, fans appear more inclined to recline and watch the sporting excellence unfold.

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